Somehow, I knew this would totally happen. There's that Japanese DS dating sim game, Love Plus, where you attempt to start and maintain a relationship, which is as you can tell, popular with lonely men. Well you can take your fake girlfriend on holiday to a town in Japan.
I'd tell these people to get a life but I shouldn't even bother.

I think it's quite sad, and by that i mean it makes me feel sad that people are lonely enough to invest this much time and effort in to a virtual relationship. :(

It's shame that people focus on the "sad" and "lonely" aspect of this story instead of the more positive fact that a game has been (somewhat successfully) used to help boost a failing local economy.

Yeah I take the point, should be focussing on the positive rather than the negative aspect.

I see where you're coming from but it just seems like a really, really, really, really weird trend. Actually no, weird doesn't begin to describe it.

Probably because you don't have any knowledge of the current climate here. But long story short, an increasing number of men are deciding that it's simply easier to not bother with opposite sex relationships. Basic reasons for this are exceptionally long working hours; a desire to keep their hard earned money for themselves; and the ever growing perception (by young women) that their other half should not only be earning an obscene amount, but should be giving all of it to them (and then be content with the small amount of pocket money granted by their wife).
That is, of course, the exceptionally condensed version of just some very basic reasons. But needless to say, many consider a $40 game that can provide the level of interaction that they desire to be far better than the hassle of dealing with "parasite" women.
And then of course, there's the so-called NEETs as well (although they're probably not very likely to have taken advantage of the real-life part of the Atami tie-in).

Focusing on positive elements
More men dating fictional characters
=
MORE JAPANESE GIRLS WITHOUT A BOYFRIEND!
and that, gentlemen, is a great news.

Unless you pirated the game that is =) Yup, Konami's anti-piracy countermeasure was to have the girls hate you permanently.
Yeah, there's no way this could be backfiring, no way.
The problem certainly isn't the game. It's Japanese society in general. And I can tell you now, nothing is going to fix it. The government is simply too incompetent.
Also for the record, Love Plus (Plus) is played by women too, primarily in their late teens to late thirties. Not only that, but there are similar games aimed at them (such as the Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side series -- also by Konami and from which Love Plus is very loosely based).

Was that anti-piracy or realism?

It's an anti-piracy measure. Even when the girls hate you in authentic copies, it's very easy to get them back to liking you. It's completely impossible to get them liking you again in pirated versions. The measure was also successful in that it made many pirates go out and buy authentic copies.

For the love of Mike, these people buy underwear out of vending machines! USED underwear, to boot! And they have holidays and festivals where everyone dresses up like a penis. Does activity like vacationing with a fictitious female really surprise you?

After a bit of domestic violence towards their DS, no doubt.

predcon> gee, what an awful bunch of cliche!! As if there were absolutely no bizzaros in the USA... ^_^

Well if it makes you happy then why not.......
I am not going to deride something that gives people pleasure even if I don't fully understand it.
Love the copy protection on it though. They should try it over here instead of DRM. Imagine having a game character being intentionally obstructive to the gameplay !